Insertion tool and follower



S- 1969 o. F. cnzw ETA'L 3,460,229

' insmmon TOOL AND FOLLOWER Filed Dec. 1. 1966 0.21411: Cifh 1 524 L 6AL0/Vf2. 54440:: a. 5/550 BY y,

United States Patent Of 3,460,229 INSERTION TOOL AND FOLLOWER Orv lle F.Crew, Los Angeles, Verl L. Gardner, Midway City, and Samuel H. Gibson,Santa Ana, Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments, to McDonnell DouglasCorporation, Santa Monica, Calif., a corporation of Maryland Filed Dec.1, 1966, Ser. No. 598,458 Int. Cl. 1325b 27/14 US. Cl. 29-203 3 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A follower tool has a stem with'an axial holein the end to receive the tip of a male connector pin. This tool guidesthe male connector pin into the female receptacle on a panel board. Aninsertion tool has a stem which is hollow and which has a spiral guideslot cut through the wall at its end. The groove receives the electricalconductor to which the plug is attached and the plug male connector pinmay thus be positioned with the insertion tool to follow the followertool into engagement with the female receptable on the panel board. Thetwo tools, the follower tool in the rear of the panel board, and theinsertion tool in front, may be used to insert the plug into and removeit from the panel in a cluttered field of many connectors and attachedconductors.

The invention described herein was made in the performance of work undera NASA contract and is subject to the provisions of Section 305 of theNational Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, Public Law 58568 (72 Stat.435; 42 U.S.C. 2457).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In many instances, modern electrical andelectronic equipment assemblies are complex, small, compact, anddelicate. In equipment such as that designed for use as a computerprogramming panel, for example, numerous pin and socket type terminalsmust be correctly positioned in the receptacle or terminal assemblies.These terminals are closely spaced on the receptacle assembly panel andliterally hundreds of contacts are made within a relatively small space.Electrical conductors, or wires, extend from these conductors andpresent a maze of spaghetti or jumbled and entangled wires through whicha connector plug must be passed in order to be positioned in its corresponding terminal on the board. The proper positioning of suchcontacts without damage and with reasonable economy of installationtime, has presented a difficult problem which is solved by the insertionand follower tools of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The insertion and follower tools comprising thepresent invention are used for connecting and removing electrical plugsfrom an electrical terminal panel. The follower tool is inserted intothe appropriate pin hole in a terminal panel from its rear side andprotrudes out through the maze of spaghetti wire extending from thefront surface of the panel. The follower has an end suitable forengagement with a male connector which is to be inserted into theterminal through which the follower has been placed. The insertion toolengages the male connector in such a manner that it may be used toinsert the male connector into the terminal into which the follower hadbeen inserted. The follower and inserter are used together to insert themale connector, and also to effect its removal, quickly and convenientlyand without damage to the wires or connectors. In a cluttered field ofmany plugs crowded onto the terminal panel, the insertion 3,460,229Patented Aug. 12, 1969 and removal of plugs has been a difiicult andtimeconsuming operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 1 is a sectional view through aterminal panel, showing the insertion tool, follower tool and electricalplug connected together and positioned for insertion of the plug intothe panel opening;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view through a panel terminal board showing themale connector engaged within the terminal hole, the follower toolwithdrawn and the insertion tool still in contact with the connector;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the end of the insertion tool,showing how the conductor is engaged and retained thereby; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a follower tool 10comprising a handle 12 and stem 14. The stem preferably is of stainlesssteel tubing of 4;" 0D. with an internal diameter at its end 16 of .077inch. Should the steel tubing be solid, then this internal diametershould define a recess approximately A" deep. The terminal panel 17 hasa front 18 and a rear 20 interconnected with a plurality of holes 22which are made electrically conductive by plating or by the insertion ofmetallic cylinders 24 having an inside diameter suitable to receive maleconnectors 26. The male connector or plug 26 is of conventional typeused in making plug-in connections. It consists of a male pin 28 havinga diameter of approximately /8". A sleeve 30 fits over the end of thepin and has outwardly directed spring-like contacts 32 which insureelectrical contact with the inner metallic surface 24 of the hole 22.The end 34 of pin 28 has a reduced outer diameter and may be received byend 16 of follower tool 10. Sleeve 36 innerconnects end 28 with itsassociated conductor 38.

The insertion tool 40 consists of a handle 42 and a hollow stem 44,having a bearing member or pressure foot 46 at the end thereof. Thispressure foot 46 has an opening 47 communicating with a spiral guideslot 48 in the lower end of the hollow stem 44. In operation thepressure foot 46 is inserted over the electrical conductor 38 and ispositioned against the top surface of sleeve 36. The conductor 38 isthen inserted into the spiral guide slot 48 and maintained there by theoperator while inserting the plug pin 28 into the opening of panel 16.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it can be seen that after the insertion toolhas been used to insert the plug 26 into opening 22, the follower tool10 may be withdrawn as shown. The manner in which the insertion tool 40engages with and becomes disengaged from the plug 26, however, can bestbe understood with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Here the hollow stem 44is shown with the pressure foot 46 affixed to the bottom thereof. Foot46 is crescent-shaped and has a portion removed to provide for anopening 47 through which the conductor 38 may pass. The conductor 38 isthen fed into the spiral guide slot 48 in the wall of hollow stem 44.The pressure foot 46 engages the top end of sleeve 26 as the insertiontool is used in urging the connection of the plug with the receptacle inthe panel. As shown in FIG. 4, pressure foot 46 has a hook portion 50which helps retain the condoctor 38 in position within the spiral guideslot 48. After the conductor is in position in the opening 43 ofpressure foot 46, the insertion tool 40 is then rotated clockwise toinsert the conductor 38 into the spiral guide slot 48 and conversely,the disengagement of the insertion tool from the plug may beaccomplished by a counter-clockwise rotation.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the present invention,it is to be understood that modifications and variations therefrom willreadily occur to one skilled in the art, and it is to be understood thatthese deviations are to be considered as part of the present inventionas set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. An insertion and follower tool combinationcomprismg:

a follower tool with a handle having a solid stern aflixed thereto, 4

said stem having an outer diameter small enough to permit insertionthereof through contact openings in an electrical terminal panel,

said stem having a recess in the end thereof adapted .to

receive the lower tip of a plug male connector to be inserted in one ofsaid contact openings,

the insertion tool having a handle with a hollow stem affixed thereto,

said hollow stem having a spiral groove slot in the wall thereofextending from the end of said stem, said slot being of suificient widthto permit insertion therein of an electrical conductor connected to anupper end of an electrical plug on the end thereof.

said tools adapted to oppose one another and to move simultaneously withone another to assemble said electrical plug male connector within acontact opening in an electrical terminal panel.

4 2. An insertion and follower tool combination as in claim 1,

said hollow stem having a crescent-shaped bearing member on the endthereof, said bearing member having an opening therein to permit itsinsertion over said conductor and to permit said bearing member tocontact the top surface of said plug and to transmit a longitudinallydirected force thereto to thereby insert said plug into said contactopening. 3. An insertion and follower tool combination as in claim 2,

said bearing member having a hook portion thereon whereby engagement ofsaid conductor into said slot requires clockwise rotation of said secondhandle and disengagement therewith requires counterclockwise rotation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 3,010,193 11/1961 Croall et al29-278 3,074,155 l/19-63 Cootes et a1. 29-283 3,279,044 10/1966 Roper29206 3,380,141 4/1968 Rofer.

THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary Examiner U .8. Cl.

